Numerous devices have been utilized in the past for permitting the inclusion of consumer products and samples of consumer products such as information storage units e.g., a CD-ROM, DVD, diskette, floppy disk, perfume and hand lotion packets, etc. with a publication e.g., a periodical, magazine, newspaper, book or the like. Typically, the inclusion of such consumer products with a publication is for promoting the publication, a manufacturer""s product and/or can be an integral part of the publication. With regard to information storage units, they are oftentimes included with a textbook having a coordinated block of information contained in the storage unit. Examples of the inclusion of information storage units with publications may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,782,349; 5,881,538; 6,126,201; 5,269,563; and 5,638,953. Another way of including a storage unit with a publication is to overwrap the publication with an outer cover and include the storage device within the composite package. This latter form of structure increased the mailing charges whereas those devices that were bound inside a publication had a smaller increase in the mailing charges over the cost of mailing the publication alone. With regard to sample consumer products like perfume, hand lotion and food, they are packaged in sealed packages and then secured in a publication, e.g., as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,492,306 and 6,213,303 B1.
Some of the problems with carriers such as those disclosed in the above referenced patents is that they are of complicated structure, costly to manufacture, inconvenient for a consumer to open, or expensive and difficult to bind into a publication. Further, because of the complexity of structure, a significant amount of material was required which increased the cost of the structure. Many of these carriers do not permit viewing of the graphics on the contained product, limiting consumer appeal and effective marketing. Additionally, the carriers do not permit or are not well adapted to permit use for subsequent storing of the contained product.
There is therefore a need for a simpler, less expensive and easier to use carrier for storage units which can be distributed in publications for distributing storage units or other products through the mail, retail outlets or the like.
The present invention involves the provision of a carrier for storing consumer products for inclusion in a publication such as a magazine, book, periodical, etc. The carrier involves a panel which is adapted for securement to or within the publication. A cover is provided that is secured around at least a substantial portion of the outer periphery of the cover forming a pouch between the panel and the cover for receipt of a product or item. The size and shape of the pouch closely approximates the size and shape of the product device. A tear strip is provided in the cover and is positioned adjacent to a peripheral edge of the product and the perimeter of the pouch such that when the tear strip is severed from the cover, an opening is provided adjacent to the peripheral edge of the storage unit to facilitate removal of the product from the pouch while leaving a pouch adequate for subsequent storing of the product if desired.
The present invention also involves the provision of a method of assembling a storage unit carrier with the product in place in a pouch. A panel is fed along a processing line and a product is placed thereon at a predetermined location. A cover is subsequently removed from a feed strip containing covers. A cover is removed preferably by blowing a loose edge free from the feed strip after which the cover is applied to the panel by adhering an adhesive coated section of the cover onto the panel. Prior to application of the cover to a panel, a tear strip is provided therein having a finger tab with the tear strip preferably not being adhesively secured to the panel.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood from the following detailed description.